Greg Grant’s primary focus is the protection of his client’s legal rights, business interests and competitive advantages.  As an experienced client counselor and advocate with more than 25 years of experience representing all types of business entities, owners and executives (including officers and directors), Greg understands business, and from first-hand experience knows that litigation or arbitration are strategic options/tools – NOT a goal to aspire to. He evaluates each client, and each particular challenge, in order to ascertain the best strategy to defuse or defeat his client’s crisis or adversary.

Greg brings extensive experience to the Firm and his clients including an array of employment and business operations-related successes – as well as many years of dispute avoidance and resolution for his clients – whether locally in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia – or across the country wherever they regularly transact business. While serving as a trusted counsel to corporate management or business owners each day, he also represents companies in breach of contract, fraud, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and other business or employment-related disputes. He also assists partners/owners in negotiated or litigated “business divorces” and related disassociation or dissolution matters.

Employing his pragmatic, Mid-Western approach, Greg guides clients through the complexities presented by evolving federal and state laws governing employees, officers, directors, minority shareholders/members, independent contractors, and the joint venture partners they may affiliate with or be responsible to. He provides his clients with candid feedback, options and expectations when they contemplate taking action or are forced to defend themselves in court, arbitration, or before an administrative agency. Developing a cost-effective strategy toward a successful resolution is paramount, and Greg draws upon various tactics such as the implementation of “best practices”, training, negotiation or mediation but, when necessary, aggressively uses litigation or arbitration, to attain an outcome-focused on each client’s best interests.

For over 25 years Greg has also counseled government contractors with regard to their day-to-day operations, unique employment-related concerns and obligations, and in federal compliance matters. He assists clients in understanding and satisfying both their current and anticipated obligations under the OFCCP and Affordable Care Act, defends them in civil litigation including subcontract, teaming agreement and employment-related disputes, as well as in civil prosecutions including False Claims Act allegations. In administrative matters, he has represented contractors in EEOC or state/local administrative actions, DOL/OFCCP or state audits, and civil suspension and debarment proceedings resulting from IG or DOJ investigations and prosecutions.

Outside of the courtroom, Greg routinely represents clients in EEOC or locally-initiated investigations of employee or former-employee claims of discrimination, retaliation or other statutory violations. He regularly counsels clients regarding employee discipline/termination issues, and how to comply with the ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA and related state and local statutes. In addition, Greg regularly represents clients in response to audits and/or investigations initiated by federal (DOL/OFCCP) and state/local agencies.

In the courtroom and before arbitration panels, Greg handles complex matters involving employee-employer, contracts/subcontracts, and officer/director obligations and/or disputes. As a result, he regularly pursues Temporary Restraining Orders (TRO’s) and Preliminary Injunctions in both state and federal courts when prosecuting restrictive covenant (non-compete and non-solicitation), confidentiality (non-disclosure) and trade secret violations.

As part of his employment practice, he represents individuals associated or affiliated with FINRA members, be they financial advisors, research analysts or investment brokers, with regard to their separation and compliance issues. This includes counseling those “in transition” regarding their Protocol for Broker Recruitment obligations or representing them in FINRA arbitration or litigation concerning disputes related to their former broker-dealer employer. Moreover, he has assisted several departing “teams” in establishing their own independent businesses, while resolving any obligations or disputes from past affiliations.

In addition to representing “for-profit” commercial entities, Greg serves as “outside in-house counsel” to several 501(c)(3) not-for-profit associations and federations. While offering much of the same support and counsel as provided to commercial entities, he also counsels these exempt organizations in uniquely applicable matters, including anti-trust compliance, membership (exclusion and expulsion) issues, standards setting and certification – and offers training programs to assure continued education and compliance.

In recognition of his leadership and management skills, Greg has served on the Board of Directors of the Firm for the past 5 years, and he co-chairs Shulman Rogers’ Employment & Labor Group, Business Litigation Practice and its Virginia practice.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Results

Employment and Business Litigation

  • Successfully prosecuted minority shareholder derivative claims, securing favorable out-come, including exit-strategy, for several out-of-state investor clients.
  • Secured Permanent Injunctions in the Eastern District of Virginia federal court against former employees and judgments against their new employers, successfully prosecuting breach of contract, trade secret and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
  • Negotiated mutually-beneficial separations for high-level executives at three publicly-traded corporations based in California, Maryland and New Jersey.
  • Equally adept at representing minority shareholders or members in prosecuting derivative (or direct) claims against majority shareholders or controlling members and representing majority shareholders or controlling members in defending derivative or direct claim lawsuits.

Government Contracting

  • Resolved federal employment claims brought against a large Virginia-based Government Contractor in the Eastern District of Virginia federal court and worked to develop and implement employee training in avoidance of litigation and potential future claims.
  • Secured TRO and Permanent Injunction in Maryland federal court against former employees and their new company for a large Virginia-based Government Contractor.
  • Negotiated mutually-beneficial separations on behalf of two privately held, Maryland-based corporations with high-level executives in California, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

FINRA

  • Successfully defended departing financial advisor group from overbroad restrictive covenants and alleged trademark violation claims – allowing them to seamlessly transfer a very lucrative portfolio to an independent broker-dealer without protracted, costly litigation.
  • Resolved claims against and counterclaims asserted by several Maryland-based financial advisors involving their former employer in FINRA arbitration, through successful mediation.

Publications

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

  • May 14, 2020 Recording: Employment Law Webinar: Guidance for Reopening Your Business
  • April 28, 2020 –  AEG Series Panel – Employment – How Do I Keep, Manage, Lead Employees, and Recover Them “After”
  • April 16, 2020 – NEXT webinar – Startup Survival: 4 Legal Strategies to Extend Your Runway
  • April 9, 2020 – NEXT webinar – COVID-19 Crisis Mitigation Packages
  • April 17-20, 2016 – Virginia SHRM State Conference – The ABCs of Employee Discipline & Termination

News & Events